Reel



F. s. BARKS mi-AL [2,221,566

REEL

Nav. 12', 1940.

3 Sheets--Sheexl l Filed Juiy 18, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F. S. BARKs Erm.

REEL Filed Juiy 18, `1938 Flcs.

Nov, 12, 1940.

N FIG .4.1

`Patented Nov'. `12, t.

Frank S. Barks, St. Louis, Alexander P. Fox, University City, Lutwin C, Botter, Maplewood, and William Z. Linders, Ferguson, Mo., assignors to Lincoln Engineering Company, St. Louis, Mo.,` a" `corporation `of Missouri l" This invention reiatesto reels; and with regrd to certain more ipciilc"` features.` to re'. trieving reels."` i .p-

Among the severnllobjects of the invention y o `may be noted the provision of a `compact"and portable reel for automatically retrieving ilexible lines such` as lubricant lines or `air-hose lines, l

electric lines and the like; the'provision of apparatusoi the class described in whichthe maxii 1o mum retrieving force is smallerthanis.practicaf ble with spring-retrieved apparatus 31o! this class; l

i and theprovision of apparatusoi'theclass de-` scribed, which issimple inform and isldepend- Fable;y `Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out` hereinafter. i The invention accordinglycomprises the ele-` ments and; combinations oi elements, features' of construction, and arrangements o! parts which will be exemplified in the `structureshereinafter described, land the scope oithe application of whichwill beindlcated in the following i f In theaccompanying drawings, in which are shown several oi various possible embodiments of the invention, l

`Flg.l is a frontelevation, parts `being broken away and indicatedin vertical section, onehose being shown partially unwound; 1 l

Fig. 2 is sverncal se'euontaken sanstnnunuy\` on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, `imteachhoseis shown as being wound;'

Fig. 3 is an enlarged `vertical section` taken on line 1 3 otFlg. 1 with parts brokenaway; f

Fig., 4 ls aplan view of the apparatuswith covers removed;

, Fig. 5 is an enlarged `vertical section taken on line 5 5 of Fig; U2; and,`

t Fig. s 1s `a diagrammaticfviewcrs magnification withouta regulator or accumulator in the piping system. 1 l Similar reference 4charac-.ters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral viewsoi the drawings.

Hose reelsin which iiuidpressure is communicated to a4 hose line through a central pavked 5 hub are shown, for example, inUnitedStates Patents 1,244,818, 1,659,783 and2,039,250. vRe-` trieving reels which depend `upon `ordinary springs `for their returning action are subject to the op-` eration of Hookes law,` that is,the more the line is wlthdrawnjthe more a springis -tensioneti in direct` proportion. so thatthe `withdrawn line` is 1 rincreasingly,tensiloned and becomes less exible and more dimcult to manipulate at` the greater extensions. j 1 A 1 A i 65 One form or reeloverccmes the diiliculty `are provided in the surface 6` to accomodate hose iltting of hose 22.L

i by eliminating springs andbylooping` the line C around a weighted pulley. `Infthis case, the return force is supplied by gravity instead of by a spring. This gravity iorceis substantially constant ior the various elevations lassumedaby the weighted 6 pulley.` Such gravityreels are subject to the dis.-

`advantages that they are not portable and` that they require excessive space. `'I'he present invention approximates `the `ad.-` vantageous operation` of the gravity retrieving w system'without theydisadvantage of its space-3` `,consuming,characteristics, and with the added advantageoi portability. While it jispossible to construct `spring-retrieved systems with pre-compressed springs in whlchthereis ax small ratio n;

of` retrieving iorce before and.,r after.- line extension,these require an excessively large torce over the entire range of line extension, or mechanical complications, which are insurmountable. 'I'he presentinvention provides a simpliiled means for reducing the maximum` pressure involved in retrievingthe line. L ,1 i `Referring now` more particularlyto Fig. l of the drawings, numeral i indicates asuitable base having `an upper ilat surface i.' Openings i0 5 supply lines! and 90. for lubricant and air re'- spectively. i

`On the` base l `are `two similar" reels,tbut, for brevity, onereel and its elements will be described. 3U Lubricant supply line 8 is'attached by `means of the fitting Il to a stationary body I2 of a swivel (Fig.j5). `'Ihebody i2 is hollow, asindicatedat Il. Thebody i2 communicates with the reel hub `casting Il` through aigland,V i5, which includes 35 packing i6` and shoulder-forming means l1 to form a iluid-tight swivel joint. Otherswivelling i means may be used, such as shown. for example,

in Fox United ststesratent 2,083,599. p

l, Hub casting I (is attached to `reel discs Il by bolts |941 The `discs I8 `are spaced by suitable spacing` pillars 2J which also form an inner hose supporting `means (Fig. l). l Ailuid passage 20 communicates at its inner end with thepassage il in body I2, and extends outwardly to a thread- 5, ed' opening 2| which `accommodates a suitable p 1 The `inneriend oi hub il is coaxially with body I2 to receive one end of a pinion shai't 2l which is fastened" thereto by` a pin Il, so `as to rotate with the hubcasting.

A housing illiorms a bearing for the assembly oi hub casting Il and'its extending pinion shaft p 2i. 'Ihe housing Il has an enlargedhamber llandareducedbore Il toiormthebearing. l'v

v tion betweenpedestals 1. by bosses-65 and bolts,

(Fig. 3)'. The opening 55 receives a cylinder 51,..

which has a suitable cap 58. The lower opening 56 receives a cylinder 59, which' is also capped in order to hold oil that will carry up on rack teeth 10. Bores 6| provide-guide bearings for a piston. rod 62. On 'the upper end of rod '62 is provided .K

asuitable air-tight piston 63 which reciprocates in cylinder 51. rack teeth 10 to coact with the teeth on pinion 3,3.

The casting 50 is secured in a horizontal posi- 66.y Pedestals 1 lare'rigidly. secured' to base. |v by boltsi. i l Beyond the` air supply line 90 is anadjustable,

f pressure-reducing, `regulating valve 9| which communicates with conduits 93.` Conduits` 93 interconnect the working'cylinders 51 and an auxiliary reservoir or accumulator 94, the'latter being-secured to base These parts 93, 51 and94 makev a single pressure manifold.` If accumulator 94 is not used, then ports 93 and 51 constitute a lsingle pressurey manifold. This valve includes a manual control 4 whereby the pressure admitted mayv be iadjusted' and lthereafter fautomatically maintained at any adjusted value.

End covers. 99 are secured in position onf-base I. -The end covers 99 follow-the circular contours of ther'anges |8quite closely so that a flush relationship is presented. A rounded center cover is provided with a stack |0| which has afremovablecap |02 to facilitate. the removal ofA a drip pan |03. Stack |0| is provided with bayonet openings v|04 to receive and support the nozzles |05 of control valves |06 when the valves are not in use. 'Suitable control valves arelocated on hoses 22. f 4 l In general practice, super-atmospheric air supply pressure is normally available from an air pumpl operating in` conjunction with an air receiver or pressure tank (notv shown). Line 90 proceeds from such a receiver and supplies air t0 line 93 through the regulator 9 I .1

*The auxiliary receiver 94 provides space beyond the regulator 9| for compressingthe working air of cylinders 51. Regulator valve 9|, as is known, allows no air tofreturn vtd supply line 90. f `Theoperation ofthe device is as follows: 'I'he iluid grease Iunder pressure from-supply line 9'follows through'the longitudinalibore I3 in swivel body |2 up`through the internally cored vpassage 20 -in hubcastlng |4k t the hose 22.

f The' regulator valvel is set to admit the desired super-atmospheric pressure into the cylindersl 51'an`d reservoir 94, with both hoses in rel tracted position on the reels. Eachpiston 63 is then'atits lowest position,'thatis, of maximum volume in its respective cylinder 51. d

Nozzle |05 of control valve |06 is removedfrom Piston rod 62 is provided with voir 94. The air thus compressed exerts suilcient force to retrieve the hose when the latter is released.

Since, at a constant temperature, the pressure Vin a contained space is inversely proportional to its volume, the greatest retrieving pressure is obtained at the greatest hose extension. In order to reduce the final "retrieving pressure, the addedV volume in chamber 94 is used. This is because the regulator 9| cuts ofi the `connection to the pump receiver (pressure tank) except for periods vof intermittent flow from its high-pressure to its connected with cylinders 51 would result in constant initial pressureA throughout the stroke of either piston 6.3. i f

Some air compressor and pressure tank outts provide such a pressure that thev pressure-reducpressure. For example, an ideal, infinite volume ing regulator 9| may be dispensed with,` as dia-f grammatically indicated in Fig. 6. In this event, the auxiliary'receivery94 may also bedispensed with, also vasindicated in Fig. 6 This is because the tank between the compressor4 and line' 90 functions as a receiver to increase the volume in communication with cylinders 51, enough so that thevolume change in a cylinder 51 isrelatively. smallV compared to1the totalA volume involvedin the compression process.` .i

But, even in the absence of a regulator valve 9|, the accumulator 94 may be useful and can, if desired, be used. For example, if thev line90 from the compressor tank is small or long or both, the friction therein may act asa throttle temporarily to prevent free ilow between cylinders 51y and the. pressure tank, in which event,

.the volume of the pressure tank would `not be useful :under workingconditionsto reduce the rate atwhichpressure'iills up in the cylinders 51. The connection between the i accumulator 94 and -the cylinders 51 is so short that substantial friction throttllng is not introduced.

It is intended. that the total volume of the piping associated with the respective cylinders 51 andthat ofthe accumulator .94 shall be substantiallygreater than the volumetric displacel ment ofeither piston 63. -Where no accumulatork 94 is used, it is intended that the total volume ofv the piping from the cylinders 51 to and including the compressor tank shall be substantially greatery than thel volumetric displacement of either piston 63.

j; The external source of compressed air -provides for a pressure after `the completion of the expansion stroke-of` each piston which ls above atmosphericpressure, thus providing against the reduction of the retrieving tension to zero (atmospheric) at 'the end of the working stroke. In cases where positively sealed displacement apparatus is used instead of the piston-(such as `for 'example a metallic bellows, rubber diaphragm, or

the like), the externalsource ofvs'uper-atmospheric pressure may not be necessary, except possibly for initial charging purposes. For example;

atmospheric pressure during manufacture and, without leakage, will operate to provide a superatmospheric pressure throughout the stroke of operation.

The usual auxiliary apparatus is used such as a safety relief valve 3 and drain 8 for the accumulator 94.

l It is to be understood that the parts subject to* air compression from the pistons or movable pressure-receiving means 63 may be considered as chamber-forming means.

In view `of the above, it will be seen that the several objects `oi' the invention are achievedand otherV advantageous results attained.-

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without. departing fro`m` super-atmospheric pressure, movable pressurereceiving means exposed continuously to `the, pressure of said fluid, means operatively connecting `the rotary support and the pressure-receiving means wherebythelatter ismoved according to the rotation of the support, apressure supply means to provide a pressure higher than that necessary in the chamber-forming means, and a regulating valve for admitting fluid from the pressure supply `tothe chamber-forming means ata substantially predetermined minimum pres-` sure in the` chamber-forming means, said regulator` valve preventing flow i from the chamberforming means back to the supply.

2. A reel comprising a rotary support for a line to be extended,said support being rotated as the line is extended,\a chamber-forming means containing a volume V of fluid continuously under super-atmospheric pressure, movable pressure-receiving means exposed continuously to the pressure of said fluid, means operatively connecting the` rotary support and the pressure-receiving means whereby the latter is movedaccording to the,` rotation of the support, a `pressure-supply` means to provide afpressure higher than that necessary in the chamber-forming means, and a regulating valve for `admitting uid `from the pressure supply to the 'chamber-forming means 2,221,565 such apparatus may `be charged with a superat a substantially predetermined minimum pressure in the chamber-forming means, saidregulator valve preventing flow from the chamberforming means to the supply, the volume of said chamber-forming means being substantially greater than the volumetric displacement of said pressure-receiving means.

3. Areel comprising a plurality of rotary supports for lines to be extended, the respective supports being rotated as the respective lines are ex tended, a singleV manifold containing a volume oi' fluid continuously under super-atmospheric pressure, a plurality of movable pressure-receiving means in said single manifold, each pressure-receiving means being exposed continuously to the substantially super-atmospheric pressure of said fluid, respective means operatively connecting the `respective rotary supports and the ,respective pressure-receiving means whereby the latter are respectively/',moved according to the respective rotary movements of the supports, pressure-sup-` ply means to provide a pressure higher than that necessary in the manifold, and at least one regulatingyalve for admitting fluid from the pressure supply to the manifold ata substantially predetermined minimum pressure in the manifold, said regulating valve preventing flow from the maniusy substantially super-atmospheric pressureof said,v

uid, respective means operatively connecting the respective rotary supports and the respective pressure-receiving means` whereby the latter are respectively moved according to the respective rotary movements of the supports, pressure-supply means to provide a pressure higher than` that necessary in the manifold, `at least one regulating valve for admitting fluid from the pressure supply to the manifold at a substantially predetermined minimum pressure in the manifold, said regulating valve preventing ow from the manifold to the supply, and an accumulator communicating with the manifold. 

